Worlds Apart
by Sierra Rose the Hedgehog
Summary: After Amy moves away heartbroken from the fact that Sonic does not love her, Sonic wonders if he was right to remain silent. But when five years pass, will Sonic realize how much he truly needs Amy? Or will someone named Dexter steal Amy away from him?
1. Prologue :

**Author's Note~ This is another one of my many SonAmys. As you can see I am a big SonAmy fan. X3 I don't want to spoil too much about this story because it will get better in the next chapter. (evil grin) But I'd like to mention that work on this story will be delayed due to a few other tasks I am busy with, so you may not see the next chapter in a few weeks. It simply depends. At any rate, I hope you'll all enjoy this, and please review! If you have a comment to make then drop me a line with an PM. I don't mind.**

PROLOGUE:

_Tap, tap, tap._

Rain was lightly pelting against the pane of the window. Outside the precipitation was coming down in torrents. Amy lay in bed, listening to the slow, rhythmic-like beat of the rain against the glass. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. The red numbers on her digital pink clock confirmed it to be precisely 12:15 AM. Amy blinked. She was still wide awake.

With a long, doleful sigh, she turned over on her left side, away from the clock and away from the window which exposed the rest of the bitter world to her. She pulled the covers of the bed closer around her shoulders and tried to force herself to sleep. And yet, it was not coming. She couldn't stop thinking about it. Time was passing. And not just the fact that it was already late at night- no, Amy was contemplating something far more intense.

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

The large grandfather clock in the hallway just outside Amy's bedroom steadily kept on with his sure beat, making known each second that passed by. Time was going, going, going... The hours were turning into days, the days turning into weeks. The weeks into months, the months into years. And yet, he still wouldn't admit it.

Amy thought about it over and over. She just couldn't figure it out. There were so many times when they would become close- and then every time, some phenomenon would occur to prevent them from growing any closer; in fact, it seemed to pull them farther apart. She stared at the picture sitting on her vanity wardrobe, just across from the bed, and kicked off the covers. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got up, walking over to the wardrobe and picking up the picture. She brought it close to her eyes to observe it well.

It was a picture of herself and the handsome blue hedgehog. It was a photo that had been taken after Sonic had just returned from a long trip to another part of the world. Amy, who had stayed behind, had been so overcome with joy at seeing Sonic again that she had rushed to his side and caught him up in a huge tackle-hug. The picture had been taken of Sonic leaning slightly on one foot, off-balance from where she had caught him off guard, but the broad smile on his face was evident. He seemed pleased to see her, as smiled slightly, but it only took a second for it to fade away again. She groaned softly and hugged the picture close. It was all so confusing. She loved Sonic with all her heart, and even though there were brief occasions where it seemed like he was returning her affection, he still would not admit it. She knew there were hundreds of times she had outrightly confessed it- that Sonic was her boyfriend, that she was his girlfriend, that she loved him. Yet Sonic never had any proper response to that. Amy would expect a least a blush or two, perhaps a small, awkward confession that he did like her. But nothing. He refused to come out with it.

Amy lowered her head sorrowfully. She couldn't wait any more. She had tried, time and time again, to get him to confess. He wouldn't budge. Amy couldn't tolerate that. Either Sonic liked her, or he didn't. And he wasn't saying anything about liking her. So, obviously, he had no feelings for her whatsoever.

Tears began to slip down her cheeks. She bit her lip and tried not to cry, but her heart was crumbling inside of her. She sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching the picture to her chest. She felt so torn inside. She knew she loved Sonic. She didn't want to leave his side. But she couldn't handle being in a place where didn't she feel appreciated. Sure, there was Cream, and Tails, and Knuckles, and all of her friends. But she didn't want to stay Sonic's friend forever. She wanted more, and if she couldn't get more, she had to move on.

Taking a deep, long breath, Amy took the picture and placed it gently on the bed. She went over to the closet and pulled on a clean dress, then, her heart heavy, slipped out the suitcase from the top of the closet.

"I didn't want to have to do this, Sonic," she whispered quietly as she began to place her things into the suitcase. "You know how much I care about you. You must know. But if I'm in a place where I can't be loved back, then I have to find another place, with someone I know who'll love me back."

She gingerly took the picture of her and Sonic hugging in one hand and placed it on the top of the clothes packed into the suitcase, then slowly closed the suitcase. She took the handle of the suitcase in one hand and headed out the door. She was leaving the place forever.

As she headed out down the street, Amy shivered as the cold rain ran down her back. She thought of leaving a note or some sort of sign on the front door to let the others know she was going away, but something was pushing inside of her for her to at least say a final good-bye to Sonic. She knew she would regret it, but she headed down the road in the direction of Sonic's house anyway.

After a few minutes of traveling, Amy reached Sonic's house. She walked up the three stairs to the front porch and set the suitcase down. Sonic was probably asleep, but she hoped he would at least be sorry to see her leaving. At least that would mean he cared, if even just a little. She knocked on the door.

A few moments of waiting passed, then a light inside the house flashed. A silhouette of a figure moved just outside the window, and then the door opened. Sonic's drowsy eyes went wide when he saw Amy standing at his doorstep. "A-Amy?"

"I'm leaving, Sonic. For good," Amy declared, getting straight to the point. She looked down darkly. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I have no other choice. I just wanted to say good-bye... and to let you know that I'll miss you."

Sonic blinked. "Leaving?... But, Amy, why?"

"I can't stay here in a place where I'm not sure whether or not I can be appreciated," Amy blurted out. Tears were filling her eyes again. "Sonic, you know how much I love you. But if you don't return my love, then I can't stay here. I can't feel like I belong." She squeezed her eyes shut, but tears flowed down her cheeks anyway. "I'm sorry."

Sonic looked bewildered as a deer in headlights. He stared at her in absolute shock, apalled at the words he'd just heard come out of her mouth. Then, slowly and awkwardly, he put an arm around her and let her cry into his shoulder. "But, Amy... we'll all miss you. You don't have to go."

"Yes, I do. You don't love me, so I'm not appreciated here," she sobbed.

"Amy, I do appreciate you. You're my friend. I l-... I like you a lot."

She looked up at him, staring tearfully into his jade green eyes. "Do you love me?"

Sonic stared back. He wasn't answering. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words were coming out. His eyes were flickering with hesitance and uncertainty. Amy felt her heart sink. There was no hope left. There was no possible way Sonic could truly love her if he wasn't even sure if he did or not.

She blinked back another flood of tears sliding down her cheeks and pushed away from him, turning away coldly. "I'm sorry, Sonic. I have to go. ... Good-bye."

Sonic watched her lean over and pick up the suitcase again, looking as though he himself were having trouble breathing. "Amy... Please. Don't go."

"I'm sorry, Sonic. I have to go my own way," she replied softly, stopping as she went down the front porch stairs again. "And... Don't worry. We'll probably run into each other again... someday."

"I'll miss you."

She couldn't bring herself to look at him another time. "I'll never forget you, Sonic the Hedgehog. Thank you for being my friend for all these years." She started to head down the road again. "Good-bye."

"Good-bye, Amy." He watched her figure disappear over the horizon slowly. He bit his lip, waiting until she had fully left earshot, then closed his eyes and forced himself to head back into the house. His cheeks were being tickled with water, but it wasn't the rain that was still falling. He brushed away a tear and tried to pull himself together. Maybe it was better for her to leave. She could go out and see the world for herself. Then maybe she could get a taste of reality and get her head out of the clouds. She would see there was more to life than just trying to prove that he loved her.

But somehow, as he had watched her disappear into the distance forever, it felt like a part of him had been torn away. Amy was gone, and he had no idea when she would come back, if she ever came back at all. Now that she had left, it was like she had taken a part of him with her. He'd never see her again. Ever.

"My fault," he muttered, closing the door behind him. He pressed his back against the door, then slid down to the ground. He bent his knees and lowered his head sorrowfully, trying to force back the tears. "It's my fault. I should have told her. I should have... told her."

But it was too late now. There was no hope left.

There would never be a chance for Sonic the Hedgehog and Amy Rose.


	2. Chapter 1 : Dying Within

**AN : Sorry for the late chapter, I came down with a case of Writer's Block shortly after uploading the previous chapter and I've had it ever since. Thankfully, recently I have been able to write more, what with free time during summer and my getting over the WB. I appreciate the patience. So, on with the next chapter!**

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**Chapter 1 : Dying Within**

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

The alarm clock on the bedside table rang loudly as it announced the designated time for its owner s awakening. A groan came from the bed beside the table, and a white-gloved hand slapped the button on the top of the clock, turning the alarm off.

"Ohhh."

The person in bed kicked the covers off and sat up. The blue hedgehog opened his emerald-green eyes drowsily and rubbed them as he slowly awoke. A faint image of a slender pink figure lingered in his mind He'd had crazy dreams all night. About what, he wondered?

Then the dream flooded back into his memory. The blue hedgehog's green eyes widened as he remembered who had been a major part of his dreams. He shuddered and tried to forget, shaking off the waves of heartache starting to overcome him. It was the same way every morning. He would fall asleep at night and have dreams about her all night long, and when he woke up he would remember that they were only dreams, and she was not actually with him. That would sent him into a fit of depression which he would endure for the rest of the day until he would go back to sleep and have the dreams all over again.

The blue hedgehog lowered his head and scowled, scolding himself inwardly. That had been five years ago. He told himself he should let go of the past. It had already happened; it was over. But somehow, that didn't comfort him any better.

"Hey, Sonic! A voice from downstairs called. Wake up, breakfast's ready!"

Sonic sighed and raised his voice to reply. "All right, I'm comin', Tails!" He yawned and stretched, refreshing his stressed nerves with new blood pulsing through his body, then swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he rolled his head about his shoulders to give it a good pop.

"Today's a new day, Sonic," the now-twenty-year-old hedgehog addressed himself, glancing over at the mirror nearby. He forced a smile at his reflection. "Time to show the world you CAN get on in life without her."

His reflection's smile faded. He was having trouble convincing himself that. With a weary sigh, he started out of the door of his room and headed downstairs.

When he arrived in the kitchen, he found the orange fox already seated at the table with his plate in front of him. Sonic nodded at the fox. "Mornin', Tails."

"Good morning, Sonic," the orange fox replied, a content tone in his voice. Sonic only wished he could feel as lighthearted. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept just fine," Sonic answered as politely as possible, faking a smile. He hated being dishonest, but it was the only way to keep his uncontrollable nightmares a secret. He nodded. "Thanks."

Tails smiled his return and went back to flipping channels on the small television set seated on the counter. Sonic, meanwhile, retrieved a plate of his own from the cabinet, and then went over to the stove to dish out some of the scrambled eggs from the frying pan. As he prepared his plate, Sonic allowed himself to sink back into his thoughts. He glanced behind him at the fifteen-year-old kitsune, making sure he would not be noticed if he decided to zone out a bit.

Tails had always been Sonic's closest friend. The two were inseparable, like brothers, and either had always been there to look out for the other. After Amy Rose moved away five years ago, Tails had been the one who had so generously offered a place in his home for Sonic to live. Since then Sonic had been living with his younger friend, continuing his struggle to move on in secret. Sonic knew Tails was aware of his sudden change in behaviour after Amy left, but whenever the fox questioned him about it, Sonic would deny any relation to the fact of Amy's departure and then quickly change the subject.

Sonic took another spoonful of eggs and then turned to set his plate down on the table, still thinking as he turned back around to get the orange juice from the refridgerator nearby. Sonic hoped Tails didn't worry too much about him. He tried to choke his feelings down and act as though everything was okay, but he had a sinking feeling that none of his tricks ever worked. He simply could not help it. Something deep in his heart had snapped when Amy left. The guilt was unbearable.

_I had the opportunity to tell her, and I just let her go..._

"Sonic?"

His thoughts fled from his mind like spooked horses. He turned to quickly try to mask his emotion with a smile, but Tails had already seen the hollow gaze he was giving the wall.

"Sonic, you shouldn't worry so much. It's bad for your health."

Sonic let out a long, exhausted sigh as he closed the door to the refrigerator and turned back to the table. "... Sorry, Tails." He poured some orange juice into his glass and sat down dejectedly.

Tails watched the blue hedgehog intently, concern flickering in his light-blue eyes. "I know you miss her, Sonic, but you're worrying me with all this stressing."

"I'm not stressing, and I don't miss her!" Sonic snapped. He bit his lip when he saw the taken-aback expression on his friend's face and sighed slightly. "... Sorry. I just... don't feel like talking about it, all right? Just drop it." He picked up his spoon and took a bite of eggs before he had to say anything else.

Tails observed him for a few moments longer, the worry still evident in his eyes, before he finally turned back to the television, giving a sigh of his own. "You never feel like talking about it..." He flipped the channel to one displaying the weather forecast for the week.

Sonic chewed his eggs slowly and returned his gaze to the wall, trying to concentrate on thinking again. He could almost remember it- the pain in her eyes, the tears flowing down her soft cheeks...

_Sonic, do you love me? Do you really care if I leave or not?_

Sonic's heart pounded mercilessly against his chest. The guilt washed over him as the memory of her desperate question echoed in his mind. If she could only see him now; how much he had lost since she left.

_When Amy left... it was like she took a part of me with her._

"And now, back to our regular programming."

Tails flipped the channel, the weather forecast having been concluded. The fox leaned back slightly, pleased with having found the news channel. A young blond-yellow rabbit, who was apparently the news reporter, stood in front of the camera, speaking into a small microphone.

"... And speaking of strange events, there appears to be some form of a limousine making its way into Station Square..."

Sonic stood, pushing his plate away from him. "I'm going to go for a run, Tails."

"Hm?" Tails turned a bit to look at the blue hedgehog. "But you've barely touched your food."

"I'm not real hungry today," muttered Sonic. "... I'll be back in thirty minutes or so."

"Well, okay... Be careful out there."

"... Right." Sonic lifted a hand and pushed the screen door open, stepping outside onto the front porch. He took a short breath of air, the fresh oxygen filling his lungs. Clouds were gathering in the skies overhead, but Sonic decided to ignore them as he walked down the steps of the porch and down the front lawn. He stopped for a moment at the foot of the steps, half-wondering if it would rain. As if it would matter.

The cobalt hedgehog huffed to himself and pulled the jacket he'd brought with him on, buttoning it securely around his shoulders and neck. Shoving his hands into the pockets of the jacket, he then proceeded on into the woods which stretched out a mile or so nearby the workshop.

Leaves were falling with apparent grace onto the soft dirt of the forest ground. The slight breeze whisked through the branches of the trees, brushing by Sonic and attempting to chill his bones. Sonic ignored the chill, shaking it away before it even made contact with his body. The depressed atmosphere of the land matched his current suicidal mood. This forest brought back memories of years past. The memories reminded Sonic too much of the opportunities he had, of what he could have told her, and what he did not. He walked the forest path alone, but somehow as he walked, he could feel a spirit by his side, a spirit that seemed so distant yet so close. The smell of her sweet perfume, the warmth of her rosy pink fur, the glimmer in her dark-green eyes. The emotion over-swept his heart, so deep and so passionate.

Sonic stopped in his tracks for a split-second. The memory lingered in his mind. He reached out a hand to grasp around hers with affectionate tightness, but found that nothing was beside him. "..." His sadness began to slowly harden into hatred. He bowed his head, his eyes shut as he constrained the fury. He hated the world. He hated the pain that came with came with simply existing in the world. He hated everyone who lived in the damn world he was also cursed to live in for the rest of his days. There was nothing left for him, so why should he feel any sympathy or anyone or anything else?

_That's it, hedgehog. You cannot quit. Do not let the pain or suffering stop you. Take it within your heart; let it grow. Let it fester within your soul; let it blacken your heart to the core._

Sonic clenched his fists. He could feel a coldness creeping deep into his heart as he kept his head bowed low. His fur stood on end as its colour progressively darkened from a brilliant sapphire-blue to a dark navy-blue.

_They are the cause of your pain, hedgehog. They are responsible for every hurt and every pain you feel in your heart. They are the ones who have done you wrong. Let hate be your ally. Go, and make them pay for the heartbreak they've forced you to endure. Destroy every last one of them. You will feel better in the end, and everyone will see that your heart is not something to be broken! They will fear and respect you! Destroy them!_

Sonic lifted his head. A deep scowl froze on his expression, and the emerald-green pigment of his eyes was slowly fading into empty white.

_Kill! Hate! Destroy! Pay!_

"Revenge..."

"Sonic!"

The dark-blue hedgehog turned, his pupil-less eyes intent on the source of the voice. The yellow-orange kitsune halted at the edge of the clearing, placing a hand on the trunk of a nearby tree and leaning over slightly to catch his breath. Sonic's fur lightened again, and his green eyes returned. He shook his head, his self-awareness reviving a bit.

"Tails?... What is it?" Sonic blinked.

Tails opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was exhausted pants. He held up his index finger, signaling for Sonic to hold on while he tried to breathe. Clearly the fox had been running swiftly to get from his workshop and to the forest. That much being said, Sonic could only assume that something important was happening. The blue hedgehog took long strides to get to his friend's side quickly. Sonic helped the fox stand up straight and encouraged him to keep breathing. Once this was through, Sonic tried to inquire of what was the matter, but he jumped back a bit when Tails leaned a hand on his shoulder.

"Tails? What's wrong? Did someone get hurt?"

Sonic tried to inhale and exhale properly himself. He still didn't feel well from a few moments before, but this situation seemed to be too urgent to be distracted by his own feelings.

"I just got a phone call from Cream, Sonic..."

"You did? Is she okay? Did something happen to her mom?" Sonic tried to speak calmly, but the tone in his voice revealed his inner impatience. "Or did someone else get hurt?"

"No one is hurt..."

"Then WHAT is the deal?"

Sonic gave his younger friend a serious gaze. He let out an exasperated sigh and placed both of his hands on Tails's shoulders, turning the fox around to look him in the eye.

"Tails. Tell me what's wrong. Now."

"It's... It's not... She..."

"Tails!"

Tails nearly fell over on top of Sonic. Sonic grunted softly in frustration. Why was Tails acting like this?

"Pull yourself together!" The hedgehog was finally forced to give Tails a light slap on the cheek.

Tails blinked again, life returning to his blue eyes.

"Sonic. You're not gonna believe this, but..."

"But what?"

"... She's back, Sonic."

"What? Who is?"

"... Amy."

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**Heh, cliffhanger. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. Leave a review and tell me what you think. It's appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 2 : Faded Rose

**AN : New chapter! Yes, I know I updated fast. I was feeling so good about this story that I wrote a whole chapter in one day. So, here we are! Please enjoy.**

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**Chapter 2 : Faded Rose**

It was a peaceful afternoon. Eggman had once again been defeated, and all was right with the world. As sun rays lightly peeked through the canopy of tree branches overhead the small forest, a blue blur whisked across the forest path, stirring up tiny piles of leaves as it went.

The blur slowed down a bit as it reached a deeper part of the woods, revealing itself to be a blue hedgehog whose face was known the world over. In his arms he carried a younger female pink hedgehog, who kept her arms wrapped securely around his neck and had an exhilarated smile on her face as her hero carried her on. Eggman had captured her once again that day in order to lure his enemy Sonic into a trap, but as always, the blue hedgehog easily sped over Eggman's supposed clever plot and sent the doctor himself running. With that, Sonic rescued the girl, swept her up in his arms, and ran away to safety as the battle behind left a deadly explosion.

After a while of running through the forest afterward, the blue hedgehog slowed to a stop and placed the female hedgehog back on her feet. He started to walk off a bit, but before he could, two arms squeezed tightly around his rib cage.

"Ohhh Sonic!" The twelve-year-old pink hedgehog snuggled against his chest, smothering him in the hug.

"A-Amy!" choked the male hedgehog. "Lighten up!"

"You rescued me! I knew you would! You always do." She didn't release her grip on him, but gently loosened slightly and nuzzled into him happily.

"O-Okay, all right, I get it." Sonic slipped out of her grasp and quickly turned away, clearing his throat loudly. "You're welcome."

Amy smiled and sat down on the soft grass. He had brought them to the edge of a small lake, on which shone the same golden rays of sunlight. She pulled her knees to her chest, making sure to keep her dress straight, and sighed contentedly. "Have you ever noticed the way the sunlight seems to dance on the water?"

The fifteen-year-old male hedgehog sat down as well, bending one knee and letting the other lie straight. Draping his elbow over the bent knee, he followed her gaze to where the waves of the lake water were swaying gently. "Yeah...?"

"It looks sort of magical." Amy's pink quills were also swaying slightly as the crisp fall breeze blew by them. "Kind of... well, you know. Pretty."

"Yeah... Pretty."

Amy's ear twitched. The way Sonic was speaking, it almost sounded as if he were looking at her. She turned, but his head had turned back to focus on the water.

"Well, water is water to me. I never took a liking to it." Amy strained to listen to him, but there was no emotion in his voice revealing what Sonic was thinking as he spoke.

Amy felt a bit disappointed. "But don't you think you could learn to like it? You might be surprised-"

"No." Sonic was shaking his head firmly. "Water can never change for me. It will always be the same. It's always in my way."

"In your way?" Amy's heart began to sink slowly. "... Always?"

"Always."

Amy lowered her head, her ears folding back with sadness. She was beginning to understand. "... Okay, Sonic." She nodded a bit. "Okay..."

The blue hedgehog said nothing more after that. Amy turned away a bit so he would not see the hurt she knew was evident in her eyes.

Was it really ALWAYS in his way?...

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"This town is amazing, Amy!"

Amy's dark-green eyes blinked in confusion as she awoke from her thoughts. Turning, she saw that the brown squirrel-chipmunk sitting beside her was gazing out of the limousine window, her blue-grey eyes lit up with excitement.

"It's everything you told me about, only better." The female squirrel smiled enthusiastically. "And everyone here seems so nice."

The pink hedgehog gave her friend an amused smile. "Alright, Sal. Settle down."

"Sorry, Amy." Amy's friend turned, chuckling slightly. "I bet you're just as excited though."

Amy let out a small chuckle of her own, but said nothing and turned back to her own window to gaze out at the Station Square centre they were riding through. Things seemed to have changed quite a bit since she'd last seen them five years ago, but it would always be home to her.

She sighed a bit to herself, remembering the old days of living in Station Square and defending freedom alongside her team of friends. Back then she was simply a lighthearted twelve-year-old without a care in the world. Now she was a fully-blossomed seventeen years old, having just celebrated her birthday a week prior. If things had not changed in Station Square since she left, she knew she herself had changed a right good amount. After saying good-bye to all her friends and leaving behind a broken past of never achieving her true love, Amy had ran far off from her home, eventually collapsing at the door of a small mansion. There she was discovered and taken in by a friendly, inventive young female squirrel-chipmunk hybrid whose went by the name of Sally Acorn. Sally had invited Amy to stay with her in the estate she inherited from her father, and ever since then Sally and Amy had grown up together, their friendship woven closer than any ordinary bond. Sally had helped Amy to mature and to forget the boy she had become so heartbroken over, to learn self-control and become a smarter person. With her help, Amy had forgotten all about Sonic. Until now.

Amy bit her lip and focused on her reflection in the car window. She could still remember that one night that had begun all this. She would never forget it for good, as much as she tried to push it out of her mind. She knew she had probably been a little overbearing, but she couldn't help but feel hurt that Sonic didn't love her. She had spent all that time chasing him and trying to win his affection. There were so many times when she could have sworn he might have returned her feelings. Yet, she got no response upon asking if he loved her. Obviously he did not, and that was the reason why Amy decided to move on.

So why was she still thinking about it?...

"Hello. Mobius to Amy Rose."

Amy blinked again as two gloved fingers snapped in front of her eyes. The squirrel-chipmunk was gazing at her expectantly. Amy shook her head.

"Sorry, Sally. Were you talking to me?"

"I was..." Sally sighed. "You were thinking about Sonic again, weren't you?"

"No, I wasn't!" protested the hedgehog, but it was pointless to lie, because Sally had already seen the disappointed frown on Amy's face as she had been thinking.

"Don't worry about it, Ames. Everything will be just fine, I promise."

Amy touched her lip slightly. She had been biting it so hard that it was beginning to bleed. "How can you promise that? I don't know how much has changed after five years. Would he still remember me? Would he remember what happened before I left... And what if he... what if he still hates me?"

"Amy, he never said he hated you."

"But he didn't say he loved me, either."

"You've been stressing too much over this, Ames. You need to calm down a bit." Sally took the plastic bottle of soda from the cupholder nearby and handed it to Amy, then pulled a screen down from the ceiling of the limousine and flipped it on to a television channel. "Do something to get it off your mind. Maybe a movie, or a cartoon, or something."

Amy slowly began to sip at the soda, fixing her eyes on the screen as Sally also sat back and began to watch. She knew her friend was probably right. She needed to relax and not think about it. Still the young female hedgehog's body was trembling from the millions of thoughts and questions whisking around in her mind. She was afraid to come back, afraid of what the others would think when they saw her after so long. Would they accept her? Would Sonic accept her? What if he had decided to move on, too?...

"So why didn't he want to come in the limo, anyways?"

Amy released the breath she'd been holding to answer Sally's question.

"I don't know, I guess he decided he wanted to run instead."

A small smile played at the corners of Sally's mouth. She adjusted the denim long-sleeved jacket she wore and tucked the white shirt beneath into her blue skinny jeans. "My, you're so lucky to have such a catch."

"A catch?" Amy almost laughed, giving Sally a look of confused amusement.

"Well, yes! I mean, just look at the guy. He's so strong, and brave, and handsome..."

"And full of it."

Sally smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, you have a point. But still. He's kinda... sexy. Don't you think?"

Amy shook her head, rolling her eyes and smiling again. "Maybe so."

"Miss Acorn, there are news reporters outside waiting to speak to you and Miss Rose." The solemn, dark-eyed badger driving the limousine spoke up.

Amy gave the world outside the window another glance. There was a rally of reporters with cameras, microphones, and notepads, with a female rabbit whose fur was blond-yellow at the lead of them all. Sally shook her head.

"We've no time for detours, Grimsby. Ignore them and speed up."

The badger gave no response but did as Sally commanded. Sally turned to look at Amy.

"So, where do you want us to stop? One of your friends' houses?"

"I looked at the phonebook. Cream's residence is still there. It might be better if we go to her first, she was my best friend when I was a kid. I know she'll be glad to see us."

"Okay then. What's the address?"

Amy gave the name and numbers of the address to Sally, who in turn told it to the badger driving. The badger gave a slight nod and turned down a certain street, headed for the destination of which the two girls had directed him. Sally then leaned back in her seat again and returned her attention to the television screen, but Amy's stomach felt too fluttery at the moment for her to truly relax. She turned in her seat to look out the window behind the car, checking another time to be sure of herself that he was following.

To her contented confirmation, the dark-blue blur was racing just feet behind the limousine as they rode on.

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**You like? And yes, Sally and Amy are friends, because that's the way it should be, instead of the two constantly fighting over the same guy.**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3 : Distant Memories

**Chapter 3 : Distant Memories**

His heart pounded. His chest heaved. He could feel his very blood rushing through his ears as he ran as fast as his two feet could carry him. The flesh on his legs was now nicked and slightly bloodied from the low underbrush he was running through scraping his legs, but he didn't care. He had but one word on his mind. One word, one name, two syllables, and a million sleepless nights.

_Amy._

Although Cream's house wasn't far from his own home, Sonic felt as though it took hundreds of miles for him to reach it. He tried to intensify speed, but yet again the undergrowth of the forest he had taken a shortcut through was holding him back. The orange fox flew about a foot and a half overhead the hedgehog, using his two furry tails to levitate him and fly through the air.

"Tails, are you sure Cream was positive about this?" Sonic yelled out to his companion as he kept trying to run. "She wasn't just... playing some joke?"

"You know Cream's not like that. She wouldn't play any mean pranks like that," Tails pointed out. "And besides, why would she lie? Amy was as important to her as she was to me and you."

Sonic narrowed his eyes, fixing them on the small cottage ahead with the familiar orange colour scheme. He highly doubted the last statement Tails made.

"I still don't understand why we couldn't have just took the easy way, like the Tornado, or a car, or just walked around the block," Tails seemed to be commenting to both himself and Sonic. "It's a lot harder running through these woods-"

Tails's words became indistinct to the speedy hero as Sonic at last bounded out of the undergrowth and sprinted off towards the orange cottage. Tails's words were of little concern to him at the moment. His two red-sneakered feet became spinning blurs as he ran faster, and faster. Sonic couldn't help but smirk to himself, enjoying being the fastest thing alive. He glanced down at the path that stretched out before him; he had only a few more feet to go before he reached the doorstep. Little did he realise there was a small but solid rock concealed in the dirt.

"Hyargh!" Sonic quickly put on the brakes at the last moment. He dug his heels into the ground, his intention of progressively sliding to a stop in front of the cottage's door almost working. Were it not for the forsaken rock hidden on the ground. Sonic's toes somehow caught on the rock, unbeknownst to him at first, causing him to trip and collapse directly on his face. ". . . . . . . . ."

A pretty young female rabbit with dark brown hair and long beige ears tucked behind her head in a pigtail hairstyle opened the door to find him having faceplanted on the doorstep. "Why, hello, Mister Sonic. Nice of you to drop by."

Sonic literally sweatdropped. "... Hey, Cream." He pushed himself to his knees and then to his feet just as Tails flew up behind him.

"That's what I was trying to tell you, Sonic," Tails said, waving a finger scoldingly. "Haste makes mistakes."

Sonic turned around to give his younger fox friend a "you're-not-helping" look. Tails ignored it. Cream simply smiled and gave a small sweatdrop of her own, knowing it was always Sonic's style to rush wherever he went.

"Please come in, Sonic. We've been waiting for you." The doe stepped back from the doorway and gestured for the two to walk inside.

Tails then smiled and walked in. He greeted Cream and the shy little pet Chao who'd been hiding behind her the entire time, and the three others walked off to another room, leaving Sonic behind.

Sonic took a step slowly into the cottage, carefully closing the door behind him. His anxiety was returning now that the rest had been put behind. The only thing left was to look for her, but... The living room he'd stepped into seemed to be empty. Somewhat grateful to have a few moments alone, Sonic took the opportunity to try to build up some self-confidence. He noticed a nearby mirror hung by the side of a coatrack by the door and decided to use that for brief practise. He leaned a bit against the wall, giving his reflection a suave smile.

"Hey there. Well, who have we here. If it isn't Amy Rose. Long time no see, gorgeous. You're looking good. You're looking great. Did it hurt when you fell down out of heaven?" Sonic shook his head and gave his reflection a chuckle. "No, no- YOU'RE looking good. Yeah. So, how's it been goin' with you, baby? I know it's been a while since we've seen each other. Five years, actually. Gives us a good chance to catch up. Heh, heh."

Sonic stared at his reflection, his smile slowly fading away. He sighed and rubbed his ear. This wasn't going to work. He could feel it. How could she accept him after all this time? Would she remember what happened five years prior, when he...? What if she hadn't forgiven him? Or what if she didn't even recognise him when they saw each other?... What if she refused to see him at all?

Sonic leaned his back against the wall, looking up and giving the ceiling a blank gaze. He couldn't quite understand for what reason she had even come back. The way he had treated her, he would have guessed she'd move somewhere far away and never come back for the rest of her life. Why had she returned? Had she forgotten something here in Station Square? She couldn't have come back just to see him. Why? Why had she returned?

Too many questions. Sonic's head was beginning to ache. He rubbed it, then looked down and gave the floor a glare. "I hate pop quizzes..." he muttered.

His left ear suddenly flicked. He heard laughter in the next room. Standing up straight, he gave the hallway a look. That seemed to have been where the others disappeared. He strained a bit, wondering if he'd hear a familiar female voice. The only voices he could pick up were those of Tails, Cream, Cream's mother Vanilla, and two unfamiliar voices. He assumed one of those two was Amy...

Sonic took a deep breath and gave his palm a quick lick, then used his dampened palm to brush down some fur on his quills. He looked at the mirror a final time and hoped things would go okay.

"Well... here goes nothing."

Sonic tried to level his breathing pace and walked slowly towards the entrance of the kitchen. He found himself praying that things would work out, that she would remember him, that she wouldn't still be angry with him, as much he attempted to force these thoughts back.

_Just play it cool, Sonic. Play it cool._

He pushed the door to the kitchen open. There was Tails standing next to Cream. Cream's mother was seated at the kitchen table, sporting a constantly cheerful smile on her now wrinkly face. Sonic bit his lip slightly and risked another step further inside the kitchen.

Now having cleared the corner, he could see who was standing off to the left. A light-brown chipmunk with auburn hair tied back in a braid and wearing a denim jacket with a white undershirt and black skinny jeans was smiling and exchanging words with the fox and rabbits. Sonic had never seen her before, but at the moment he wasn't too concerned. He was looking for one person in particular- and she was standing right beside this unfamiliar chipmunk. Suddenly his feet felt as though they were nailed to the floor.

_Amy Rose._

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**Meh, I got a little lazy at writing the end of the chapter, and I know you guys are hating these cliffhangers, but here ya go. XD Hope ya liked. Next chapter, coming soon.**


	5. Chapter 4 :

**Alright, so maybe some of you have noticed that the previous chapters were given titles (for example, "Faded Rose" or "Distant Memories". You may also notice that this chapter does not have a title. It's because I'm lacking creativity right now, and I'm already bad with names... -_-' So please forgive me. I'll probably give it a title later after this chapter has been already uploaded. Depends on if I can think of one... So, sorry.**

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**Chapter 4 : **

Sonic blinked. He almost didn't recognise her. She had changed so much from the obsessive twelve-year-old he'd once known. All he could do was stand and stare, his entire body numb. He knew he probably shouldn't be so shocked, but he had always believed he'd never see her again. And there she was, right before him, now a tall, slender seventeen-year-old he barely recognised.

Although it seemed like ages to Sonic, it was only a few minutes that passed before Amy finally noticed him. She turned her head fully now, meeting gazes with Sonic. If someone didn't know better, it might have been assumed they were both statues because they were standing so still. While the four others continued conversing without acknowledging the frozen, emotionless gazes that Amy and Sonic were exchanging, said two hedgehogs remained in their seemingly-locked positions.

Sonic looked at her from head to toe. He couldn't get over how much she had changed. She had let her quills grow long and wavy. Her bangs were now combed downward slightly to cover one of her gleaming jade-green orbs. Her eyelashes seemed long, thick, and black, and her eyelids were textured with dark-magenta eyeshadow. Her lips were dabbed with lipstick the same colour of her eyeshadow. She had even changed her headband- it was now a dark burgundy colour, with a small red rose pinned to one side of it. Her dress was still held on by a white collar, as was before, but it was now a darker red, to match her headband. The satiny fabric of the dress extended down to just below her knees, fitting her now mature feminine figure enhancingly. As Sonic continued gaping slightly, he could see she was standing on her high-heeled red-and-white-striped boots awkwardly.

"Ahem. Sonic?"

Sonic was jolted awake from his thoughts when Tails placed a reminding hand on his shoulder. The fox cleared his throat another time and nodded at Amy, who blinked and stood up straight having realised she had also zoned out.

"You remember Amy, of course."

"O-Of course." Sonic tried to straighten up, stretching his spine out fully and puffing his chest out a bit. He attempted to put on the suave smile he had planned on using, but all he could muster up was a weak grin. He extended a hand towards the female hedgehog. "Good to see you again, Amy."

Amy's dark-green eyes studied him for a moment longer before she finally reached out and took his hand, shaking it firmly. Sonic could see that she still wore the thick golden rings around her gloved wrists. "Likewise, Sonic." Man, even her voice had changed! Hearing it gave Sonic an unusual bubbly feeling...

The blue hedgehog shook the feeling away before he drifted off into his thoughts again. He pulled his hand back from Amy's and hid it behind his back along with the other, glancing away nervously.

"It's so good to see you again!" Cream happily hugged Amy another time. "I missed you so much!"

"We all did," agreed Tails.

Amy smiled as she returned Cream's embrace. "And I missed you all, too."

Sonic half-wondered if her word "all" included him. He was still hoping she wasn't too upset with him about before.

"Say, Sonic, have you met Sally?" Tails gave Sonic a nudge, partially startling the hedgehog.

"Sally?"

The female chipmunk stepped forward, offering Sonic a friendly smile. "Hello there, Sonic. Amy told me all about you."

"She did?" Sonic took the chipmunk's outstretched hand and shook it. He blinked. "Oh, wait... Hey, I remember you."

Sally nodded. "Took drumming lessons with your brother Manic a long time ago."

"Yeah." Sonic also gave himself a nod. "Yeah, that's why the name was sorta ringing a bell..." His voice trailed off as his eyes involuntarily turned back to Amy.

Amy was aware of the gazes he kept casting her and rubbed her arm a bit. "So, um... I suppose you're all wondering why I came back."

"We're just glad to have you here!" Cream threw in, her pet chao giving a gleeful cry of his own in agreement.

Amy chuckled half-heartedly before continuing. "I guess I just missed you all... Something told me it was time to visit." She looked at Cream. "I got every one of the postcards you sent me. They meant a lot."

Cream gave a radiant broad smile.

"So did you get the text yet?" Sally addressed Amy.

Amy reached into the pocket of her dress and retrieved a small red cellphone. "... Hmm... Nope, not yet."

Sally rolled her eyes. "Wow, he sure is taking his dear sweet time, isn't he? And here I thought he was the fastest thing around."

"You know how he is." Amy rubbed her ear. "He likes to do things his way..."

"But he did promise you he'd send you the text and let you know he was on his way!"

"Mm..." Amy shrugged with a small sigh. "Like I said... you know how he is."

"Who?" Cream asked the question that was also running through Sonic's head.

"Her boyfriend, Dexter." Sally answered for Amy, looking at the younger rabbit. "He was supposed to text her and let her know he was almost here, but he hasn't sent the text OR showed up."

"..." Sonic said nothing, but that one word was now pounding against his mind. _Boyfriend?_

"I saw him following the limousine!" Amy protested, sounding as though she were defending this mystery man. "I know he's coming..." She looked away, playing with two fingers as her voice got quiet. "I just wish he would let somebody know."

"Aw, are you worried?" Sally had a jokingly teasing tone in her voice.

"I am not," Amy muttered, but she knew Sally was being good-natured about the subject.

"Oh, look at you. You're blushing," Sally chuckled.

Sonic kept quiet and did his best not to move for fear of attracting attention, especially from Tails, but it was difficult resisting the hard stare at Sally and Amy. Amy had a _boyfriend_? Part of him could believe it. He knew she probably would have moved on by now; that was for the better. But... a boyfriend? He was unable to imagine the prospect. All his life he had been given the notion that he was the only person Amy would ever consider getting into a relationship with. It was somehow wounding to his ego to hear that Amy had no interest in him after all. He hated it when she used to pester, but he had gotten so used to being chased around and being tackleglomped by the girl, he couldn't think of it any other way.

"Sonic." Tails nudged him slightly, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn't notice the expression on Sonic's face as he had. "You doing alright?"

"I'm fine," grumbled Sonic. He lowered his gaze to focus it on the ground. Meh, he wasn't bitter about it. It was Amy's right to move on if she wanted to. Maybe this Dexter guy wouldn't be so bad. How could he be jealous? That wouldn't make any sense.

Then again, would it make sense if he had begun to develop feelings for someone he used to hate?

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door. Amy, who had been under a playful tickle-attack by Sally, immediately jerked back, giving her friend a flustered look.

"It's him. Somebody get the door!"

Cream moved towards the door, but Sonic lifted his head and spoke before she could do so.

"I'll answer it."

Amy blinked, while Cream and Sally gave Sonic questioning looks. Tails glanced at Sonic, trying to catch the hero's gaze and reassure himself that Sonic was as okay as he had said, but Sonic wouldn't look back. He was ready to go headlong. And besides... part of him was curious as to who Amy's new boyfriend really was.

The knock pounded again. Whoever this was, he was impatient. Sonic gave the door an inward scowl before twisting the knob slowly.

He still couldn't get over that Amy had a boyfriend.

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**Ack, cliffhanger again! I know you hate that but it just seemed like it would work for the way this chapter ended. XD Anyways, new chapter coming soon, because I'm writing it right now. ^^**


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